Seeing is Believing

Reading to Learn

By: Sally Wilkerson

-       drawing paper

-       crayons

-       ãThe Road Not Takenä by Robert Frost

1.     Today we are going to practice using our imaginations while reading.  It is important to use our imaginations so we can picture what we are reading.  This helps us understand the story and remember what it is about. 

2.   Letâs start out by closing our eyes and clearing our minds of all thoughts.  Concentrate on the picture that comes into your head when I read this to you ãImagine you are outside on a beautiful day.  The sun is shining and there is a slight breeze.  You and your friends are about to go on an adventure.ä  Think about the words and the picture that comes into your head.

3.   Now, who thinks they can describe the beautiful day outside and what they are doing for me? (Allow many students to share their examples.  If the learner hesitates, repeat the paragraph.)  Now letâs all draw pictures of the beautiful day and what you are doing.  Draw a picture of how you imagined that day and color it.

4.   Distribute a copy of the poem to each student.  Have the students read the poem silently to themselves. Tell them to stop about every two lines and draw hoe they visualize the poem.  By the end of the poem they should have created a picture book of their visualizations of the poem.

5.   Have students make a title page for their book and write the words to the lines of the poem on the page with the illustration it goes with.  Have the students get into groups and present their poetry illustrations to each other and discuss the differences in what each member thought.

6.   Assess the students poetry illustrations.  The students should have illustrations that (1) corresponds to the description in the poem(2) has lots of detail (3) is personalized, the picture implies images.

ãI Spy With My Little Mind.ä      www.auburn.edu/rdggenie/insp/aldrichrl.html

Read Like You Talk. Reading Comprehension Lessons.      www.mindplay.com/talk.html